Every now and again when you are out fishing you have to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. So when I got the chance to fly out to Katmai National Park this past summer while I was gillnetting in Bristol Bay, I jumped at it. From King Salmon, Katmai is only a 20 minute float plane ride away. You can fly out there for the day, stay the night in an (overpriced) lodge or you can camp. Camp with all those bear, are you crazy? Don't worry, there is an electric fence around the camp ground. Besides, with all this delicious salmon around you think these bears want to nibble on you? Granted, it is unsettling to be so close to so many bears. Grizzly bears, none the less. This sure wouldn't happen in other parts around Alaska. But out at Brook's Falls, in the heart of Katmai, food is in such abundance, these bears are happily satiated on sockeye salmon. Which is also the reason you see so many together in such a small area. Lets take a look.
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| Brook's Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska |
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| Bears waiting for sockeye salmon |
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| They wade in the water, catching salmon, occasionally |
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| Look at this old guy. See how little his ears look? He's BIG! |
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| Grandpa bear |
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| Someone got lucky! |
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| Yummy wild Alaskan salmon |
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| Gut salmon? |
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| Dur...I thought I saw one.. |
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| I got one! I got one!! |
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| Waiting |
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| Hold my calls Roy, I'm busy |
